ROD BUILDING TIPS
Sanding to Alter Action

Here's a question from the September/October 1998 issue of RodMaker magazine:

"I'm curious to know more about sanding the wall of a graphite blank
in order to change its action. Can this be safely done and how much
sanding, or thinning in actually required before you can detect a change
in action?" Paul, Birmingham, AL

"Hold on! Don't do it! Yes you can change a blank's action by
altering its wall thickness by sanding or grinding but it's far more
likely that you'll weaken the wall in a critical area and cause the blank
to fair. Today's modern high-modulus blanks feature much thinner
walls than did blanks of just a few years ago. Most blank designers
and manufacturers are engaged in an ongoing quest for the perfect
balance of performance and durability. Simply put, that means that most
blanks are designed with a minimum amount of material that will offer
good performance while still maintaining an adequate degree of
durability. There's really not much margin for error and sanding the
walls of a blank will almost certainly increase the chance of, if not
guarantee, a failure at some point.

I'm not saying that it can't be done, just that the average guy isn't likely
to get good results in doing so. When you consider the hundreds, if
not thousands, of blanks on the market today, it's hard to imagine
you can't find an action pretty darn close to what you're looking for.
~ Tom Kirkman

Publishers note:

If you have any tips or techniques, send them along! Help out your
fellow rodmakers!
~ Publisher, FAOL